


Straight On Till Morning

by Illogicallyinlove



Series: Across Every Universe [2]
Category: Star Trek
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, BAMF James T. Kirk, BAMF Spock (Star Trek), Bones is So Done, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Officer James T. Kirk, Hurt/Comfort, James T. Kirk Has Issues, Jim is a Little Shit, M/M, POV Jim, Role Reversal, Science Officer James T. Kirk, Sexual Tension, Spock is Captain, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 18:17:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21020141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illogicallyinlove/pseuds/Illogicallyinlove
Summary: After revealing their feelings for one another, Captain Spock and Commander Kirk must navigate their relationship through various hardships and find a way to stay strong together. Will their relationship be broken apart by the trials of space? Or will they allow their journey to strengthen the bond between them?





	Straight On Till Morning

The Enterprise began standard orbit around Camus II. A few moments prior the ship had intercepted a distress signal originating from the planet's surface, detailing mysterious deaths during an archeological expedition. Spock rose from his chair to assemble a landing party to assess the situation, and Jim automatically mimicked him, heading in the direction of the turbolift. Spock's voice stopped him as he passed the captain's chair. "Commander Kirk?"

Jim turned to face him, a small smile playing at his lips. Their titles seemed amusing to him now that they were so far past using them the majority of the time they spent together. It had been almost a year since they had finally admitted their feelings to one another, and while riding on the high of their new relationship, time seemed to pass by in a blur. Since they normally worked the same shift on the bridge together, their schedules were fairly similar. That made it easy to establish a new regular routine. 

To Jim it didn't even feel new necessarily; it was like his life was suddenly full where he hadn't realized it was empty. They usually had dinner together and played chess, talking over the day's various events and sharing more than a few intimate moments. They always slept in the same bed, alternating rooms depending on the day's schedule. Their adjoined quarters made it easy to spend time together and still feel like they had their own spaces to retreat to when needed.

Spock and Jim fell seamlessly together. The new element added to their friendship was comfortable and felt as natural as breathing. The only drawback, if you could call it that, was that Jim found himself in constant need of the reminder that they were supposed to be inconspicuous on the bridge. His fingers itched to touch Spock every time he was within reach. He had to force himself to remember that he couldn't caress the curve of Spock's ass whenever he walked away. That didn't stop him looking, however, and earned him more than a few knowing looks from Uhura along the way. 

Most members of the crew actually knew very little about their relationship. Not that there hadn't already been gossip about it, naturally. Jim had heard whispers of it in passing but wrote it off as bored officers grasping at straws. Turned out that some of them were more observant than Jim gave them credit for. Despite getting approval from Starfleet to continue their relationship, they tried to keep it as private as possible. It was smarter that way. The less outsiders knew, the better, Jim had learned over the years. They would only find ways to torture you with the details.

Jim told the rest of his friends, of course. Scotty congratulated him and poured him a drink. Nyota gave him an easy smile and a heartfelt threatening should he decide to break Spock's heart. He got a high five from both Chekov and Sulu. Carol hugged him tightly when he gave her the news. Sam and Auri were over the moon when he finally called them, and Peter ran around in the background singing, "Jim and Spock, sittin in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Where he even learned something like that, Jim wasn't sure, but found it endearing nonetheless. 

"Yes, Captain?" Jim asked now, in a sultry voice low enough for Spock's ears only. He raised his eyebrows and batted his lashes at Spock from under the rim of his glasses.

Spock's neutral expression didn't change, but the tips of his ears colored slightly, which Jim counted as a win. "You will not be accompanying the landing party. I required your presence aboard the ship in case something goes wrong on the surface."

Disappointment swelled violently in his chest, but he swallowed it down and did his best attempt at schooling his features. "Logical choice, sir. Be careful down there and don't have too much fun without me."

Spock studied him for a brief pause before continuing. "I am always careful, Commander. You should exercise caution as well; we are transporting down with very little information."

Jim wondered if Spock was making him stay aboard to protect him, but he dismissed it quickly. After all, Spock always put the ship's safety first. If he thought Jim was better equipped to take command of the Enterprise, then so be it. "Of course, sir," Jim replied and winked over his shoulder as Spock departed.

As the turbolift doors closed behind him, he settled into the captain's chair and sighed. He hated being left behind. As much as he respected Spock's opinion and oversight, he felt for some reason that he should be going down there with them. Jim couldn't exactly put his finger on it, but he had an illogical suspicion that something was about to go terribly wrong. Although, with him safely aboard the ship, maybe the mission would actually go without a hitch this time.

It seemed like forever before Spock finally contacted the ship again. Jim was leaning against the arm of the chair, his chin planted firmly in the palm of his hand, a bored expression on his face. "Captain Spock to the Enterprise," the speaker called out beneath his elbow, startling him out of his thoughts. He sat up abruptly and answered the comm.

"Kirk here, Captain. What's your status?"

"Only two of the expedition staff sent here have survived. We are offering them refuge aboard the Enterprise until further arrangements can be made. Have the transporter room stand by to beam us aboard - Dr. Lester needs immediate medical attention. Spock out."

A jolt went through Jim. Dr. Lester? No, it couldn't possibly be Janice down there. "Yes, sir," Jim stammered, a moment too late. He shook his head and hailed the transporter room with instructions to receive the landing party. Jim's heart was pounding, with both anticipation and dread. He stood from the chair and made his way towards the turbolift, intending to meet the captain as they beamed aboard as well as quell his curiosity. "Uhura, you have the con," he called out distractedly as the doors shut behind him.

The ride to the transporter room was agonizingly slow, and by the time Jim arrived, a medical team was already swarming the transporter pad, milling about the landing party with scanners, and a large group of bodies gathered around a gurney, conveniently hiding its patient from Jim's sight. His eyes swiveled and landed on Spock instead, who had yet to see him enter the room. Instead, the captain was hunched over, speaking in hushed tones with the other surviving expedition member. 

The man was a little older than Jim, with dark greying hair slicked back from his face. Jim was about to make his way over to them when something about their conversation stopped him. Despite being unable to hear the words they shared, it seemed oddly... intimate, which bothered Jim more than he cared to admit. Spock leaned close to the other man as they spoke, and alarm bells went off in Jim's head as he watched the captain place a soft hand on the man's arm, placating him in some way. 

Spock wasn't what you could call a tactile person. In fact, Jim didn't think he had ever seen the captain initiate physical contact with someone other than himself outside of an emergency. Unnerved, Jim unfroze from his spot by the door and approached the captain. 

What happened next was strange, even for them. Spock saw him coming a second later and his eyes widened comically, eyebrows shooting up into his bangs, before hastily dropping into a blank expression. "Mr. Kirk." Spock acknowledged him with a curt nod. 

"Captain," Jim said. "I trust everything went smoothly, sir?"

"Indeed," Spock replied stiffly. "It was...unfortunate that there were not more survivors, but we must focus our attention on Dr. Lester, so that she may make a full recovery. Perhaps then their mission will not have been a complete loss." 

"Captain, you mentioned Dr. Lester before... it's not Dr. Janice Lester, is it? I mean... it can't be her."

"Because it's a man's universe?" Spock asked harshly before abruptly amending himself, but Jim had already jerked his head back unexpectedly at the captain's tone. "I mean, it's unusual that a woman with her credentials would be stationed at an expedition such as this. It is impressive - and fortunate - that she did not meet a more tragic fate." 

Jim gave him a weird look, intent on asking Spock why he was acting like he was once they were alone. A feeling that he couldn't name settled in his stomach as he regarded the gurney, still mostly hidden from him, as it was moved by the medical team out into the hallway, presumably heading for sickbay. The other surviving man surveyed Jim thoughtfully for a moment before departing after them. Spock barked a few orders at the remaining crew members and Jim mulled about, waiting for the room to empty around them. Eventually, just the two of them were left, and Jim was able to voice his concern.

"Spock, are you alright? You seem off."

"I'm fine," Spock replied, which didn't seem fine at all to Jim, but he let it slide.

Jim circled his fingers around one of Spock's wrists, intending to pull him close, but Spock flinched away from him, retracting his hand as though Jim had burned him. Jim startled backwards, palms up in a calming gesture. "Whoa, sorry! I just-"

"Endeavor to keep your hands to yourself, Mr. Kirk," Spock said coldly, frowning at him with more contempt than Jim had ever seen before on his face. It chilled Jim to the core. Without another word, Spock stalked from the room, leaving Jim speechless and more than a little hurt.

Jim stood there for a long moment, trying to wrap his head around Spock's behavior. Something must have happened down on the planet, he surmised. That was the only explanation. He wondered if maybe Janice had been conscious at all, if maybe she had said something about him... but that was ridiculous. He and Janice had broken up years ago. She couldn't still be harboring that much resentment against him. Sure, they hadn't parted on the best of terms, but still, they had spent weeks at the Academy together, and they had genuinely cared for one another at one point. Jim would never wish her trouble.

Still bothered, Jim shook his head to clear his thoughts and left for sickbay at a slow walk, wanting to see after Janice's condition for himself and dreading it at the same time. As he approached the door to the medical bay, he could hear voices arguing loudly inside. He picked up the pace and hurried into the room to find Bones facing down Spock and the newcomer, face red with rage, the vein in his neck about to pop. 

Bones saw him immediately and gestured at the captain angrily. "Jim! Thank God. Maybe you can explain to this green-blooded psychopath that I am still Chief Medical Officer aboard this ship, which means Dr. Lester would benefit the most while being in my care! The captain here wants to assign Dr. Coleman to her case, despite the fact that all of his previous patients have died under his supervision!"

"Now, see here-" Dr. Coleman started, but to Jim's surprise, Spock put out a hand to stop him.

"Dr. McCoy, I have already explained my reasoning to you. This has nothing to do with Commander Kirk, and nothing he can say will change my mind. Dr. Coleman has the most experience dealing with this radiation sickness, and it is he that shall treat Dr. Lester. The matter is closed. Now, if you will excuse me, I have matters to attend to on the bridge."

Spock stepped around Dr. McCoy and tried to shoulder past Jim, who stopped him. "Spock," Jim said lowly, a hand on his arm. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Spock wouldn't look at him, which only added to Jim's unease. "I'm sure it can wait, Commander."

"Actually, it can't." Jim said flatly, determined not to let Spock avoid him. "Are you sure you're alright? Did something happen on the surface of Camus II?"

"I'm fine," Spock said again, not doing much to ease Jim's concern. "Nothing out of the ordinary happened." He paused briefly, and finally looked at Jim directly. His expression was blank, but there was strong emotion in his eyes. Jim only wished he knew what he was thinking. "I appreciate your unnecessary concern," Spock said in a monotone voice, as though he didn't mean it but knew it was what Jim was expecting him to say. He pulled his arm from Jim's grasp and exited the sickbay before Jim could say another word without causing a scene.

Huffing as Dr. Coleman quietly exited the room after the captain, Bones turned and pursed his lips at Jim. "Since when are those two best buddies?" He asked gruffly. "Quarrel down Lover's Lane?" 

Jim shook his head. "Something is wrong with Spock. He's been acting strange since he beamed back aboard. What happened while you guys were down there?" 

Bones furrowed his brow. "We beamed down and stumbled upon Coleman and Lester almost immediately. They were in this stone chamber, Dr. Lester passed out on the table. We moved forward to inspect her and she woke up as soon as Spock touched her. Coleman mentioned another sick survivor a little further down the hall, and took me to him. Spock sent our security guard with us, said he could protect himself if anything happened, which seemed unlikely anyways. By the time we got down the hall, the other man was dead. We went back to find Dr. Lester still unconscious with Spock standing watch, then we beamed aboard. Nothing happened as far as I can tell, but I'll have him come down here for testing. He's being more unreasonable than normal, but he can't deny me what I'm rightfully allowed as CMO."

Jim let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Thanks, Bones. Let me know what you find. In the meantime, I'm gonna go see Janice."

"You sure that's a good idea?" Bones made a face that Jim interpreted as a mixture of disapproval and dislike. 

Jim shrugged. "She's unconscious, right? Anyways, I owe her that much, at least. We have a long history."

"Oh, trust me, I remember. She's a nightmare. It's a good thing you got out when you did, though I'm surprised she didn't kill you in your sleep. Besides, you were only together for a few weeks."

"I didn't think she hated me that much." Jim frowned. "And she was the longest relationship I'd ever had at the time. I mean, I know she wasn't my biggest fan when I left for the Enterprise, but you really think she resented me that much?"

"Maybe not you so much as your status in the world. Either way, I think that woman would do whatever it takes to get what she wants, even if that meant trampling over you in the process. Let's just thank the universe that didn't happen and leave it at that. Don't go poking the sleeping bear, Jim."

"You don't think it'll piss her off more if I don't at least try to see her once? I gotta go, Bones. It's the least I can do."

Bones heaved out a sigh. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Meanwhile, I'm gonna set up the tests I have to get the captain to subject himself to. Good luck to both of us, I guess."

Jim laughed. "See ya on the flip side, Doctor." He walked through to the recovery room. On the far side of the room was Janice, who looked small and frail on the biobed, large straps wrapped across her middle, presumably restraining her to the bed for her own protection. From what, Jim wasn't sure. Maybe she was seizing during her treatment, or maybe Coleman was being overly cautious. Either way, Jim didn't plan on touching the straps. It wasn't his place to question Doctor's orders, even if they weren't McCoy's.

Looking at her stirred up a mixture of emotions, most of which were unpleasant. When they first got together, things had been great, as most new relationships normally are. Jim quickly found how controlling and psychotic she could be. She barely trusted him, stating his fluid sexualtiy as cause for her possessiveness, and had little interest in hearing Jim's insistence of his loyalty. 

Eventually they began fighting all the time, and once they graduated, Jim finally had had enough, much to Bones' glee. He had been telling Jim to get out of that relationship pretty much as soon as they had gotten together, and Jim should have listened to him sooner. 

Janice's plans after graduation were to board a small vessel together and fly out into space on a scientific exploration. Jim joined the Enterprise and told her things between them were best left in the past. He saw an opportunity to start new and took it, and she was pissed. She told him he was using his benefits as a man to leave her behind and keep her from the success she deserved. Jim told her the only person doing that was herself. He tried to apologize for hurting her and explained that they didn't work well together, but it just upset her more. 

Jim eventually left and never looked back. He didn't regret his decision at all, and the relief he felt after the Enterprise left Earth's orbit for the first time with him aboard made him dizzy. For the first time in his life, he finally felt free, and not just from her, but from everything. Somehow, signing his life away to Starfleet had given him the control and peace of mind he had been looking for. 

Now, Janice laid on the bed before him, stirring and fitfully returning to consciousness. Jim was at a loss for words, unsure what he should say to her now that years had passed. She rolled her head towards him and opened her eyes, wide icy irises staring at him in recognition and confusion. "Jim?" Janice tried to sit up and looked down at the restraints keeping her steady. She frowned up at Jim. "Why am I restrained? What has happened?"

"It's okay, Janice, just take it easy," Jim soothed, moving closer to rest a hand on her shoulder. His fingers tingled unexpectedly from the contact. "The Enterprise rescued you from Camus II. You're safe now."

Her eyes went wide, her frown deepening. She was silent for a long moment, a calculating look on her face. When she finally spoke, it was slow, as though talking to a child. "Jim, I know this will sound impossible to you, but I assure you it is the truth. I am not Janice Lester. On the surface of Camus II, Dr. Lester trapped your captain in a mind-switching device. Her consciousness was placed into the captain's body, and the soul you know as Spock was placed in this one."

Jim took his hand away from her shoulder and stepped back, disturbed by her words. "You're right, that does sound impossible. The technology for an endeavor like that has yet to be invented."

"It was discovered long ago by the inhabitants on Camus II, apparently," Janice said dryly. "The doctor must have found the device and learned of its workings. All she needed was an opportunity to use it."

"I doubt the captain would allow you to overpower him, especially in your condition."

"She tricked me," Janice admitted, and sighed. She stared up at the ceiling, her expression blank. Something was familiar about her stony gaze, but it didn't trigger memories of the Academy. No, it was something much worse, something Jim didn't want to consider. "She feigned her illness and my curiosity allowed me to become distracted. The machine was large and engraved with various marking that I was attempting to decipher. I failed to realize the device's purpose until it was too late. She used the machine to trap me and then rose from the bed completely healthy, and stepped into the other side of the device. That is the last thing I remember."

"I assume you know how crazy this all sounds," Jim said dubiously. "Even for you, Janice." Part of him dismissed her ramblings immediately. Another part of him - one that was larger than Jim wanted to admit - told him to listen to what she was saying. Spock was acting so strangely - cold, distant, and had dismissed him not once but twice now, when he was totally normal this morning. Jim knew something had happened on the surface...but this? This was a little extreme.

"I am aware," is all Janice said in response, still not looking at him.

"Look, even if I could believe you... what proof do you have of what you say happened? That's all that anyone else is going to care about. We'd need something definitive to show to Starfleet." 

"At present, I have nothing." 

Jim took another step back, his hands held out at his sides. "Then I can't help you."

Finally, Janice rolled her head back to look at him. Her face was still blank, but her eyes were sad. "I know the depth of regard you hold for your captain," she said softly. "There is nothing you would not do for him. You know his thoughts; you know him better than any being in the universe. Tell me he does not seem different to you." Her eyes blazed hot for a moment, her expression turning fierce. "Touch him and tell me that something is not missing!"

Jim stumbled even further back, now truly unnerved. The fight went out of Janice as swiftly as it came, and she slumped back to the bed in defeat. She kept her eyes locked on Jim, however. "The soul that you love is not in that body." She warned. "But you must discover the truth for yourself. It is the only way to prove what has happened."

Jim turned away and left quickly, unable to process what had transpired between them. Bones called out to him as he bolted but Jim ignored him. He had been expecting the worst, but this was something else entirely. What Janice had claimed was impossible... and yet he had felt closer to her in that room than he had to the captain since he returned. It was ridiculous, and he was sure he was overreacting to Spock's behavior. Jim made up his mind to try and talk to Spock once more after their shift was over. 

He returned to the bridge to find it in silent chaos. Jim saw Uhura first, turned around in her chair, looking at the captain with a mixture of confusion and worry. Sulu and Chekov were exchanging similar glances at the navigation console. Spock stood with his hands tightly gripping the railing, staring down Uhura with barely controlled rage evident in his clenched jaw.

Jim walked swiftly to his side and positioned himself between them in alarm.

"Captain, what's going on?"

Spock turned his head to look at him after a moment's hesitation. Jim felt his reluctance like a hot knife through the chest. "I have deemed the best course of action for the ship, and yet my officer's refuse to carry out the orders I gave them... they question my authority, it seems."

"What new orders?" Jim asked lowly. "We have strict demands from Starfleet... we're supposed to drop Drs. Lester and Coleman off at the nearest starbase and report directly to Organia. Sir, I don't think Command will be too happy if we take any detours."

Spock actually sneered at Jim, his hostility making the alarm bells going off in Jim's head ring even louder. "Dr. Coleman has advised me that Dr. Lester will most benefit from the facilities hosted by the Benecia Colony. It will only delay our arrival at Organia a few days."

"But Spock... the Benecia Colony's medical faculties are extremely primitive compared to a starbase. Surely she can recover just as well, if not better, were we to stick to the original plans."

Anger sparked in Spock's eyes. Jim held his ground to see what the captain would do. Never before had Spock looked at him with such contempt, and never had he been so unreasonable... so illogical, and so unlike his usual self. The gears in Jim's mind were turning frantically, trying to come up with any other explanation than the one presenting itself more and more to him.

"Am I not still the captain of this vessel?" Spock asked, quiet and deadly. No one else on the bridge made a sound. Jim suspected that the conversation had gone much like this before he had arrived on the bridge. The fellow bridge members were already aware of Spock's uncharacteristically short temper. 

"Of course you are, sir," Jim hedged. "But our shift is almost over. Maybe it would be better to take some time to reflect-"

Spock slammed a hand against the railing, which bent under his considerable strength. He seemed not to notice. "No! We must-"

"Captain!"

Bones' voice interrupted Spock's outburst. The doctor was standing before the turbolift, one hand outstretched behind him to keep the doors from closing. He was watching their argument carefully, as though documenting all of Spock's erratic behavior in his mind. 

Spock whipped his head to look at him impatiently. "Yes, Doctor, what is it?" He snapped. "We are discussing important ship matters."

"Well, they can wait. I want you down in sickbay for a routine exam - nothing major, just want to make sure you're feeling okay."

"This is hardly the time, Doctor. Your exam can wait." Spock waved a hand in dismissal.

"Actually, it can't," Bones barked. Jim liked that Spock's rough demeanor did nothing to deter the doctor's stubbornness. "It's within my prerogative to request an exam whenever I say fit, and I say that's right now. Let's go." Bones beckoned Spock to him with his free hand. "Come on, shift's about over."

Spock's lips thinned and pressed together hard. Jim could see the muscles in his jaw working as he attempted to keep control. Jim's concern for him was rising by the minute, so impeccable timing on Bones' part really. He could see that Spock wanted to argue but didn't know how. Jim wanted to reach out a hand and touch him, but after Spock's rejection this morning, he was hesitant to display his affections again so soon. After a moment, his face set in stony annoyment, Spock said, "Of course, Doctor," and followed Bones into the turbolift without another word. 

Jim turned to look at Uhura, who had watched the entire encounter with shrewd eyes. "Something's wrong with him, isn't it?" She asked, obvious worry coloring her tone. "He's not acting like himself."

"We don't know anything yet," Jim responded, but if even the other crew members were starting to see it, then how was he supposed to keep denying it to himself? He had hoped it was just a slight on his part - maybe he had accidently pissed the captain off, and he was taking it out on Jim less passively than he normally would. But now... Jim was sure something really was wrong. And he wasn't sure what he could do about it, or what 'it' even was.

"I'll be in my quarters if you need me. I'll let you know if anything happens and you do the same, okay? I'm gonna get to the bottom of this."

"I know you will, Jim." She smiled softly at him. "If anyone can, it's you."

Jim walked inside his quarters without bothering to turn on the lights. As his door slid shut behind him, throwing the room into complete darkness, he sighed, took his glasses off and ran a hand down his face. He needed to think, and fast. He wasn't sure how long he would have stayed like that, but a voice from the shadows made him jump.

"Jim."

It was said softly, like a prayer. Jim's whole body still jerked in surprise and he yelled for the lights to come on. The room was suddenly illuminated in bright light. He jammed his glasses back on his face, managing to poke himself in the eye in his haste, and once his eyes adjusted to the abrupt change, he saw Janice, still in her hospital gown, perched lightly on the edge of his bed, hands folded neatly in her lap. Her long hair hung haphazardly around her shoulders, giving her a wild appearance that contrasted with the calmness in her face. 

"Janice," Jim breathed, a hand on the desk to settle himself. "What are you doing out of bed? Does Dr. Coleman know you're here?"

"I am sure he will discover my absence shortly," she replied, her eyes steady on him. "I needed to speak with you again, before the captain devises a plan to get rid of me."

Had she possibly overheard the captain's plans to stop by the Benecia Colony? It didn't seem likely. "Spock just wants the best for you, I'm sure," Jim said, but even to himself he sounded uncertain.

"Somehow I doubt that."

"Why are you really here, Janice?"

She blinked and inclined her head. "You asked me for proof that what I claimed was true. I believe I have found a solution."

"Oh? And what might that be?" He feigned nonchalance in case she was lying, but his heart beat a little faster. "What proof could you possibly have?"

"Not much," she admitted. "But enough to convince you, I hope." She rose to her feet and took a few steps toward him. Jim didn't move as she approached and looked up at him with her big blue eyes a few shades lighter than his own. "You know me, Jim," she pressed, and something told him that she wasn't talking about their days at the Academy together. No, she meant something else, something that seemed more and more likely with each passing moment.

Jim tried to stay stoic, but his reserve was wavering. He was at a loss for what to do, and he missed Spock's solid, unmoving presence, like a large sturdy rock in Jim's raging river. "I don't know what you want from me," he tried to say steadily, but it came out as more of a helpless whisper.

Anguish flitted across her face momentarily before returning to a blank canvas. "I want you to believe in me. I know it is asking a lot from you, but in order to prove my case, I have to ask even more."

"Which is what?"

"Meld with me."

Jim huffed out a humorless laugh. "Now I know you're crazy. That's not funny, Janice, not to mention also impossible."

"It may not be," she argued. "The mind and soul in this body are part Vulcan. It may be possible to establish a light mental connection with someone I have an emotional relationship to. You would be the best candidate to test my hypothesis."

Jim shook his head, unable to fathom that what she was saying was the truth. "No. This is insane. It's a trick that won't work, and somehow you'll have won the little game you're playing with me." He tried to step away from her but she grabbed his wrists in an iron grip stronger than what he would have expected from a girl her size.

"It is no trick," Janice insisted. "You must allow me to show you what has happened, or the person you know as Spock - the one you care for - will be lost forever."

His wrists burned from their contact. Something about her tone made Jim pause. She sounded desperate, and more than a little sad. She truly believed in what she was saying. And on the off chance that was she claimed was true... well, what harm could it do to let her try and prove it? Either she was right and the woman before him was actually the half-vulcan that he loved, or she was wrong and her crazy display would be nothing more than just that.

"All right," he said eventually. Her eyes blazed with sudden hope. If Jim didn't know any better, he would have thought she wanted to kiss him, but she made no move to do so. Instead, her fingers loosened on his wrists and slowly slid up his arms, over his shoulders, to rest gently at the melding points on his face. All of the nerves in his body tingled, but he wasn't sure if it was anticipation or fear. 

They hadn't melded again since that first time so many months ago. They'd fucked more times than Jim could count, but never this. This was different, more intimate. Jim could tell that Spock wanted to, and Jim wanted to, too - but something always stopped him. Despite the fact that Spock had already been inside his head... he was reluctant to take Spock on a personal tour of his greatest traumatic hits. What if Spock took one peek at all the shit he'd been through and went running for the hills? 

But he couldn't let his insecurities stand in the way this time. If she was telling the truth then Spock's future hung in the balance. If she wasn't then Jim still needed to figure out what was wrong with his captain.

Their faces were only inches apart now, Janice on her toes to reach his psi-points and Jim leaning slightly to allow her better access. The fact that she even knew the right finger placements was significant, and Jim didn't allow the fact to escape him. He watched as Janice's eyes fell closed, and Jim let his do the same. 

"My mind to your mind," she murmured, sending thrills up Jim's spine. "My thoughts to your thoughts."

At first, nothing happened, and Jim was oddly disappointed. Then, as soft as a summer breeze, he felt the tendrils of Spock's mind cross the distance and intertwined with his. It was completely different than the first time they had connected like this. The first time, Jim was a prisoner to his own mind. He and Spock had travelled deep to find the source of his problem. That was unnecessary now; it took only the lightest mental caress to prove to Jim that this was the soul he loved, somehow trapped in the body of his past scorned lover. 

Jim brushed a hand through her long auburn locks, his fingers tangling in the knots. It felt both familiar and foreign to him at the same time. His palm came to rest on her face, cradling her cheek, and the wide bright eyes staring back at him shone with an uncertain, desperate hope. "Spock?" he breathed uncertainly, his brow furrowing. 

Her eyes closed and she tilted her head into his hand. His fingers tingled, and suddenly as all of the evidence clicked into place, he just knew she was telling the truth. Her fingertips still rested against his face from their meld, but they fell away as Jim swept her up against his chest, crushing her to him in relief. 

Jim caught her lips in a kiss. He had kissed Janice Lester many times in his past, so many years ago that they were distant memories, and yet he knew that kissing Spock was nothing like kissing her, even if they did happen to be sharing bodies at the moment. Janice used to kiss him like it was a competition. Spock kissed him like it was as natural as breathing, and right now was no different. They melted together immediately, leaning on one another for support, and any small doubt that Jim had still been harboring vanished.

Spock pulled back from him with obvious reluctance to rest her forehead against his. "Jim, we must formulate a plan," she said quietly. "We must find some way to reverse the process, or at the very least convince others of Janice's treachery. He cannot be allowed to be in control of the ship a second longer than absolutely necessary."

"This is making my head hurt," Jim muttered. "But how? No one's going to believe-"

"You're right," a familiar deep voice laughed. Janice, still in the captain's body, stepped through their shared bathroom and raised a haughty eyebrow at the two of them frozen with their arms around each other. Jim pushed Spock behind him, which surprisingly worked for once; normally Spock put up more of a fight, but in her new much-smaller human form, she seemed unable to. Jim pulled Spock close behind him and glared at the face he normally loved to look at. Everything about this situation was wrong. "No one would believe such a story," Janice laughed, his voice rumbling in his chest. "But the First Officer, conspiring to take down the captain with his old flame? Now, that's much more likely."

"I would never," Jim spat. "And the crew knows it. Sooner or later, they'll catch on to what you're doing, and you won't get away with this."

"Probably later than sooner, don't you think?" Janice's expression pinched into one of false regret. "Probably too late to do anything about it, too late to stop me. And too late to change both of your fates. It's unfortunate, really. Once I had gotten over the initial shock of your presence aboard this ship, James, I'm sure we could have had a long and lasting relationship. Of course, I'd have been moonlighting as your Vulcan, but that's just a minor detail."

"Jim had already begun to note the indiscrepancies between your character and mine," Spock pointed out over Jim's shoulder. "He would not have been with you regardless of who you pretended to be."

Janice glared at Spock, no doubt a strange feeling: looking at your own body with such hatred. Spock's now-ice-blue eyes stared him down. "Has Jim even told you about me?" The captain asked, false innocence dripping from his tone. Jim tightened his hold on Spock as she said nothing. At Spock's silence, Janice continued. "No, I thought not. Why do you think that is? Perhaps because I'm the one that got away?"

"Because you weren't memorable enough to mention?" Jim volunteered, and Janice snarled in response.

"I shaped you into the man you are today!" He screamed, his voice reaching an octave that Jim wouldn't have thought capable while inhabiting Spock's body.

"You were a controlling bitch," Jim corrected grimly. "You drove me as far out into the galaxy as I could get, anywhere, as long as it took me away from you. I tried to be civil about things Janice, but the truth is: I couldn't fly away fast enough."

"Civil?" He cackled. The horrible noise in Spock's tone was enough to send shivers down Jim's spine. "You broke my heart and left me crying in the dust. You never cared about me! All that ever mattered was your precious career."

"You're wrong about that, Janice," Jim said softly. "I did care for you at first. It was your paranoia and unwarranted suspicion that drove me away. What's this have to do with Spock, anyways? I'm the one you're angry with."

"Jim," Spock said warningly. Don't you dare, she meant.

"This might surprise you, Jim, but not everything is about you. Dr. Coleman and I killed the other staff members in order to send out a distress call, faking an emergency. I didn't even realize the Enterprise would be the one to respond to our message. It was pure chance - or should I say fate? - that led your captain to me." He ran his hands down his body, and examined his new body. "And rather handsome, if I do say so myself. I can see why you like him, Jim."

Jim gritted his teeth.

"Once I realized who had responded to our signal, I almost hoped it was you to find us, even though I was initially aiming for a captain. What sweet revenge that would be, I thought, if I got to steal the life you left me for. When your captain and doctor came down instead, I was disappointed, but as captain I could still make you pay for what you did to me. You can imagine how delighted I was to discover you shared your captain's bed. It seems that karma is truly on my side."

"What exactly are you going to do with your new-found power? Do you even know?"

"ANYTHING I WANT TO!" Janice's shout turned into a shriek of delight. A wide smile split his face in two. He actually clapped his hands together in front of him. "Isn't that the beauty of it? I'm a starship captain now; the possibilities are endless!"

"You're sick."

The smile melted off of Janice's face. "It's really too bad that you won't be around to see it, Jim. I wanted you by my side." He sighed regretfully, then bellowed, "GUARDS!"

Through the front door of Jim's quarters, two red-shirted security officers burst into the room, phasers locked onto Jim and Spock. "Stand down!" Jim ordered, a hand outstretched to stop them. "That man is not your captain! You have to listen to me-"

"Jim, it is of no use," Spock leaned up to whisper in Jim's ear. "We are out-manned and have no proof."

"Damn it," he growled. They were stuck.

"Commander Kirk has planned to mutiny against the ship and its captain, with the aid of Dr. Lester. Take them to the brig to await trial."

Every inch in him longed to fight their way out of this. He could envision how it would happen in his mind, but at best he would be overpowered, at worst Spock could get hurt. Besides, these were innocent fellow crew members, just following orders. He didn't want to fight them. Somehow, they would have to convince someone else of Janice's schemes. If only he could contact Bones...

The security officers grabbed Jim and Spock by their arms and marched them from his quarters. Janice's eyes glittered as he watched. They were led down into the lower parts of the ship and, by some miracle, thrown into a shared cell. The officers gave them dirty looks as they activated the forcefield keeping them in place and left to stand guard in the hall. 

Spock rubbed her arm, soothing the red spot lingering from the officer's grasp. "You okay?" Jim asked.

She inspected her arm and shrugged. "Humans are delicate," she noted casually, like it was just another interesting fact she had learned during the day.

Jim snorted. He examined the walls, floor, and ceiling, but found nothing they could use to escape. "Any elaborate plans to get us out of here?" 

"We cannot."

"Well, don't be so optimistic, Spock. Are you sure?"

She nodded.

"How do you know?"

She looked at Jim with baleful eyes. "I helped design it."

"Fuck!" He kicked the wall in frustration and regretted it immediately after when his toes began to throb. Spock simply gave him a disapproving glance. 

They waited for what felt like hours. Spock informed him it was 32.14 minutes when he finally broke down and asked. Luckily, soon after that the door opened, and a familiar face was suddenly staring at him from the other side of the energy field.

"I'm here to bring you guys to your trial. Jim, what did you do?!" Carol raised her eyebrows expectantly, like a mother waiting for her child to confess to some wrongdoing.

"I didn't do anything this time!" Jim protested, but Spock hushed him. 

Carol looked at Spock, who's feminine hand had come to rest on Jim's forearm, and scowled with instant dislike. "And who's this?" She asked, glaring daggers in Jim's direction.

"It's Spock!" Jim yelled exasperatedly. "Now, if you're done accusing me of things I didn't do, can we explain the trouble we're in? We need your help."

"Okay, but we haven't got much time. Like I said, I'm supposed to bring you to your trial. We can talk on the way." She turned off the force field and gestured for them to come out. Jim went first, but as Spock made to follow him, Carol put out a hand to stop him. "Sorry," she grimaced. "But he was very adamant that I only bring you, Jim. 'Leave the girl' were his exact words."

Jim looked at her in outrage. "Your captain is right here in front of you, Carol! Does that even sound like something Spock would say?"

"If you are telling the truth - and I want to believe you - then I'll find some way to help you both later, but right now we have to go. I won't be any use to you if he charges me with mutiny too."

"Dr. Marcus is right, Jim," Spock said, face set. "Go. I will still be here when you return."

"You better be," Jim warned. "Or I'll tear the whole universe apart to come find you."

Spock raised an eyebrow characteristically, transforming Janice's cold features into an expression he knew and loved. Jim smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her close. This body felt different, but Jim almost liked how Spock fit into the curve of his body this way. He felt more protective, like a guardian, which he's sure Spock wouldn't appreciate were he to voice his thoughts aloud. As much as he liked when Spock manhandled him, it was kind of nice for it to be the other way around for a change.

He leaned down and swept Spock into a kiss before she could protest. Normally Jim was respectful of Spock's social boundaries and tried to keep their physical contact to a minimum in front of other people. He didn't always succeed, and Spock never reprimanded him for it, but Jim generally tried to be thoughtful. It's what a good boyfriend would do. But now, with the possibility that their lives could be forever changed, even ruined maybe, he threw the worries of professionalism from his mind. It was only Carol, after all. 

Jim relished in the times he was able to catch Spock off guard. They were few and far between, but apparently this was one of them. When they broke apart, Spock's face was flustered, cheeks flushed and lips pink. It was a little strange to find that attractive - it was Janice's face, after all - but Jim didn't see Janice in front of him at all. The being before him was wholly Spock, whether it was female or human or whatever. He hoped Spock understood that.

Carol made a weird noise behind them, and Jim cleared his throat as he stepped away. He didn't look back as Carol led him out into the hallway and towards the turbolift. Jim talked while they walked, and Carol listened intently. She nodded in agreement when Jim said he needed to sway the other senior officers. "Len, Nyota, and Scotty sit as judges. You know they'll take your word for it in a heartbeat, even against Spock. I mean, what reason would you have to turn on him. And they've all seen how he's been acting."

"I hope you're right, and it's that easy. But without hard evidence, it'll be hard to convince all of Starfleet."

They arrived at the conference room and entered quietly, all eyes on him as he took his seat at the front of the room. Scotty, Uhura, and Bones looked at him with wide eyes. Jim nodded at them reassuringly. Janice stood in the far corner regarding him haughty eyes, his face stoic. Jim's trial went about as well as he expected it to. Janice all but laughed at everything he said, and seemed to care little that it was wildly out of character for 'Captain Spock'.

The upside of this what that with each out-of-character laugh, every snide remark, every accusation laced with malice, led the rest of the crew to believe Jim's story even more than they already did. When Janice announced a recess for the judges to contemplate their verdicts, he was apparently unaware that he had lost. Brown eyes glittered triumphantly at him as the senior officers gathered to whisper their agreement of mutiny. 

The satisfaction Jim felt as Janice realized their decision was sweet, though its aftertaste turned bitter as the captain sentenced them all to death. Carol sobbed as the rest of them were ushered from the room and back into the brig. Spock's lips thinned as she saw them approaced, and she wrapped her thumb and forefinger around Jim's wrist as he came to a stop beside her.

"We've been sentenced to death," Jim told her quietly.

Spock nodded. "It was only logical."

There wasn't much talking after that. Scotty and Uhura whispered softly to one another in the back corner. Bones sat on the floor with his knees bent to his chest and head in his hands. Jim stood next to him, with Spock at his side, neither one talking but still drawing strength from each other's closeness. 

About an hour passed before something happened. Jim was sitting with his back against the wall, his arm around Spock on one side and Bones next to him on the other. Spock suddenly jolted forward, hands coming to press at her temples, cringing quietly in pain.

"Spock!" Jim yelled into the silence, scaring the other three nearly to death. 

A moment later the episode passed, and she slumped back against him. Jim supported her weight and looked down at her with worry. "Spock? Can you talk to me? What just happened?"

"I thought, for a mere second, that I was on the bridge," she said dazedly. Spock shook her head to clear her thoughts. "Perhaps the transfer is impermanent." She looked up at Jim with a calculating gaze. "Maybe the only way to complete the transfer is to kill me."

"Then why did Janice bring you back aboard the ship?" Uhura asked. "Wouldn't it have been easier to kill you on Camus II and say you died?"

"I think we interrupted them," Bones spoke up. "I thought the captain was acting strange when we met back up again, but you're always weird, so I didn't think anything more of it. No offense, Spock."

Spock inclined her head. "None taken, Doctor. But I now believe that if I were able to establish a connection between our bodies, I could switch us back-"

They heard a rustling outside the door and Spock fell silent. A shout sounded in the hallway and suddenly the door slid open to reveal Sulu and Chekov, breathing heavy and each armed with a phaser. Chekov ran to disable the force field and Sulu stood guard, watching the entrance intently. 

Once they were all out of the cell, Jim walked to Sulu's side and clapped him on the shoulder. "In all our adventures, I've never been more happy to see you," Jim told him, and Sulu grinned. "What's the plan?"

"We stopped at the nearest planet to execute you guys on the surface. Chekov and I were supposed to bring you to the transporter room..."

"Looks like Janice came to the same conclusion we did," Jim said grimly.

"..But I say we bum-rush the bridge instead. The rest of the crew is already on board, they won't stop us - Dr. Marcus saw to that. All of us together should be able to overpower the captain and take control of the ship. We can figure out what to do from there."

"You brilliant man," Bones told him. 

Sulu grinned even wider. Compliments from McCoy were high praise indeed. "Thank you, Doctor. Now, let's commit a mutiny, shall we?"

The look on Janice's face (or Spock's, technically) as they paraded onto the bridge was priceless. Rage and fear chased each other across his face. It might have been comical if the circumstances were different. His eyes landed on Spock and his look turned murderous. Janice snarled and lunged toward her, but a wall of bodies had materialized between them. Coleman stood near by and watched but did nothing to stop what was happening. He too had come to the conclusion that Janice had gone too far. Trapped, Janice cried out desperately, "No! She has to die! She has to..." 

Bones, Sulu and Scotty held Janice back as Spock stepped forward, her hands outstretched. Jim's abdomen tightened apprehensively, waiting for the worst to happen. Spock made contact without incident, and Jim grimaced as a shudder passed through them both, bodies rigid, faces contorted into unpleasant expressions. They gasped and staggered away from each other; Janice collapsed to the floor with her hands covering her face, while Spock leaned on his crewman momentarily before drawing himself up tall and proper.

Jim took one look at him and could tell he had returned to his normal self. Brown eyes looked at him warmly across the distance separating them, and Jim longed to pull him into his arms, but he knew this wasn't the time or place. Security officers hoisted Janice, who was pathetically sobbing into her hands, to her feet and escorted both her and her accomplice Dr. Coleman to the brig.

Spock instructed the navigators to continue back on their course to the nearest starbase, and retired with Jim to their joined quarters. Without speaking, they automatically set to work once they arrived, Jim setting up the chess board in his room and Spock preparing dinner from his replicator. Spock sat down across from Jim and they ate quickly and quietly. Jim disposed of the dishes when they were finished and let Spock make the first move on the board. They played in comfortable silence for a while, each of them waiting for the other to speak first. There were many things they should discuss, but they both seemed to enjoy the easy air between them now. Eventually though, Jim's thoughts got the better of him, and he broke the silence.

"You know I love you, right?"

Spock moved a pawn on the board and scrutinized Jim's face. "I should think so, after the ordeal we went through today."

"I know. Just some of the things Janice said today - hell, everything about today - got to me. I didn't want you to think I never mentioned her because I was hiding something."

"I do not blame you for anything that happened, Jim," Spock said gently. He reached out and laid his open palm faced upwards on the desk. Jim reached out and took his hand. Spock's thumb stroked over his knuckles. "You cannot condemn yourself for her decisions."

A swell of affection for Spock rose in Jim's chest. Not just affection, either. Affection, gratitude, fondness, and arousal - he was sure his eyes were practically glowing with the force of his feelings. A tingle ran down the arm holding Spock's hand, and Spock shivered in response. Jim came to a sudden realization. "You felt that, didn't you?"

Spock hesitated for a second, then nodded.

Jim stroked Spock's palm with his fingertips, and Spock shivered. Jim knew Vulcan hands were sensitive, but he hadn't realized just how much. "Do you always feel what I'm feeling?" Jim leaned forward and licked his lips suggestively. He watched smugly as Spock's gaze dropped to his mouth.

"Not always... your strongest emotions are the loudest," Spock admitted, his eyes darkening in response to the direction Jim's thoughts had turned. His hand tightened on Jim's, and Jim's mental capacity for chess went out the ship's window.

He stood up violently and his chair fell backwards onto the floor, but he barely noticed. Spock leaned back and watched him saunter around the desk through lidded eyes. Jim slid onto his lap, straddling his thighs, and looped his arms around his neck. Spock looked up at him feverently, his expression open as it only gets when they're alone together.

The small hitch in Spock's breathing drove Jim wild. He settled further into Spock's lap and leaned down to lick along his upper lip. Spock's mouth opened for him instantly, and Jim gave him a slight teasing kiss before pulling back to look at him once more. Maintaining eye contact, Jim leaned back to peel off his blue and black shirts, leaving him bare chested before Spock. He reached down and freed Spock of his shirts as well, equaling the playing field between them. 

Jim ground down against Spock's thigh, feeling Spock's hardness match his own through the fabric. He groaned as their erections made contact, and Spock's hands found a tight grip on Jim's ass. Jim rolled his hips again and Spock's forehead fell forward as he thrusted back against him. Jim used a hand in Spock's hair to tilt the Vulcan's head back to look him in the eye. Spock's eyes were dilated. Jim abruptly stopped his movements.

Spock made a sound of frustration in the back of his throat. Jim used the hand tangled in Spock's hair to hold his head steady as he leaned forward to lick and mouth and suck his way up Spock's neck, over his jaw and hovered tauntingly over his lips. Slowly, he dragged his teeth along Spock's lower lip and tugged at the hair at his nape. 

"Your move, Captain," Jim murmured.

Jim's back hit the bed before he could even blink, and then Spock was crawling over him, a hungry predatorial look in his eye that sent shivers down Jim's spine. Spock's arms bracketed Jim's head as their bodies aligned and moved against each other, each brush of their crotches bringing a wave of pleasure over them. Jim grabbed hold of his glasses and tossed them carelessly away from him. They kissed properly, mouths slotting together and tongues entwining. 

Jim slid his hands down the back of Spock's pants and used the leverage to bring their hips together sharply, rutting his cock forcefully against Spock's through their pants. Spock gasped against him and moaned, burying his head against Jim's shoulder, hips thrusting rapidly. Part of him wanted to stop Spock so he could rip the remaining clothes off of them, eliminating the fabric separating their bare skin, but the majority of him couldn't care enough to stop. They hadn't been this hasty since the first few times they had slept together, but he definitely wasn't complaining.

And then Spock was gone. "Hey!" Jim protested immediately, but Spock hadn't gone far. He had already shuffled out of his pants and briefs and was currently in the process of yanking Jim's down his thighs. Jim wiggled around to help him and Spock finally returned to him, miles of naked skin between them now. Jim traced the outline of one pointed ear and let his hand trail down and over Spock's broad shoulders, grateful to have Spock back in his rightful place.

Spock must have sensed his thoughts, because a second later he was kissing Jim forcefully, leaving no room for thinking. Spock slid a hand down between Jim's thighs, ignoring his aching cock, until he could feel two slick fingers pressed against his hole. By the time Spock had Jim prepped to his meticulous satisfaction, Jim's whole body was trembling. His chest was covered in a sheen of sweat, and he had been yelling at Spock to get on with it for what felt like an eternity.

Finally, Spock hoisted one of Jim's legs over his shoulder and pushed into him slowly, taking time to reveling in the sensation while allowing Jim  to adjust. Spock paused when he could push no further, and looked down to observe the point where their bodies connected. The sight sent a flare of heat through Jim's stomach. 

"Spock," Jim breathed. Spock lifted his head to meet his gaze. "Meld with me." He rocked his hips forward a little, just for good measure.

"Ah- are you certain? I may - uh - not be able to control myself in our - oh - current situation."

"I'm sure." Jim nodded, hips curving upward to entice Spock's movement, his dick hard against his stomach. "I want to feel you, Spock. All of you."

Fingers came up to frame Jim's face and Jim leaned into the touch, his eyelids falling closed. Spock was suddenly all around him and the pleasure he was feeling doubled as they shared their sensations between them. Jim pictured a cord tying them together, a golden thread through which they shared the very core of their beings. Their bodies moved together as their minds entwined, and Jim rambled out random encouragements as his concentration waned. It wasn't long after that the pleasure grew to a crescendo and they both cried out in ecstasy, white lights flashing behind their eyes. 

Jim came back to his senses to find Spock knelt over him, gently wiping him off with a clean towel. He was still a little disoriented but sat forward to pull Spock into an affectionate, lingering kiss. Warmth spread through him down to his toes, and if his heart could have expanded in his chest, it would have. His lips tingled against Spock's.

Spock withdrew from him a moment later and sat back on the bed, his eyebrows furrowed. Jim laid back against the pillows and yawned contently, his arms thrown lazily over his head. Then, noticing Spock's worried expression, tilted his head at him in concern. "You okay, Spock? What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong, Jim," Spock said hurriedly. 

"Then why are you making that face?"

"What face?"

"Your 'I-thought-of-something-important-but-I-don't-want-to-tell-Jim' face. Come on, spill the beans."

"The...beans?"

Jim rolled his eyes but smiled. "It's an expression. Tell me what's bothering you." He yawned again and Spock's worry lines softened.

"Later," he said quietly, brushing a hand softly against Jim's cheek. "Rest now. I must first meditate on the matter and quiet my mind after the day's events." Spock stood from the bed and Jim tried to protest but another yawn interrupted him. He scowled once it passed and Spock's lips twitched into a small smile. "I will return shortly," Spock promised, so Jim reluctantly drew his blankets up to his chin and Spock lightly touched his cheek once more. "Sleep," he murmured lowly, and Jim, warm and satisfied, obediently closed his eyes.

Jim woke up some time later as the door to his bathroom slid open, the dim light revealing a slim shadow making its way towards the bed in the darkness. He rolled onto his side and lifted his head as the familiar figure approached. Spock sat on edge of the bed and looked down at Jim quietly. Jim smiled sleepily at him and lowered his head back onto the pillow as Spock reached over to run his fingers through Jim's hair.

"Did I wake you?" Spock asked softly. 

Jim yawned and buried his face into the pillow, keeping his eyes shut and focusing on the sensation of Spock's hand carding through his hair. "'s okay," Jim mumbled. "C'mere."

Spock hesitated for a moment until Jim raised his head to peer at him once more. At Jim's blearily impatient look, Spock kicked off his boots and laid down on his back beside Jim. Immediately, Jim rolled to envelop him in his embrace, sprawling himself on top of Spock and tangling their legs together comfortably. He rubbed his face into the fabric of Spock's t-shirt and sighed contentedly against his chest, inhaling his familiar and comforting scent. 

Spock's arms wrap up around him and his hands settle in the small of Jim's back. Jim swore he felt Spock nuzzle his nose into the top of Jim's head. Spock said nothing, and Jim's sleep-addled brain told him there was something they were supposed to talk about, but he supposed it could wait a while longer. Until the morning, at least. Right now he wanted to simply savor the feeling of Spock next to him.

"'Night, Spock," he breathed as he started to drift off once more.

Spock sighed beneath him and tightened his hold. "Goodnight, Jim."

Jim had the best night's sleep of his whole damn life.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you liked it and if it's not too much trouble, please leave a comment for me. They keep me motivated to write more.


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